Pharynx & Oesophagus Flashcards
What does cervical viscera mean?
internal organs of the neck
What is the pharynx?
a muscular tube
Where does the pharynx start and where does it end?
starts at the base of the skull and ends at the oesophagus
What are the 3 parts of the pharynx and where do they sit?
Nasopharynx – sits behind the nose
Oropharynx – sits behind the mouth/oral cavity
Laryngopharynx - last part of the pharynx before the oesophagus/larynx (voice box)
Where does the nasolacrimal duct carry tears?
from the lacrimal sac to the nasal cavity
When is there potential communication between the oral cavity and the nasal cavity?
when there is irregular movement of the uvula or soft palate
What is the auditory tube also known as?
eustachian tube
What is the nasopharynx lined with?
ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium with goblet cells.
What are the oropharynx and laryngopharynx lined with?
non-keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium.
Where are tubule tonsils?
around auditory tube
What does the auditory tube do?
aerates the middle ear system and clears mucus from the middle ear into the nasopharynx
What are tonsils?
collection of lymphoid tissue, chronic inflammatory cells
What is the epiglottis?
elastic cartilage tissue that sits beneath the tongue at the back of the throat. blocks food from entering the trachea by swallowing
Where does the oropharynx start (superior) and where does it end (inferior)
superior -soft palate
inferior -epiglottis
What arches/folds does the oropharynx show?
palatoglossal -anterior
palatopharyngeal -posterior
What is in the middle of the arches?
palatine tonsils
What is Waldeyer’s ring?
ring of lymphoid tissue in the naso- and oropharynx formed by paired
palatine tonsils
tubal tonsils
adenoid (pharyngeal) tonsils
lingual tonsils
What does deviation of the uvula indicate?
issue with nerves
What is the superior border and inferior border of the laryngopharynx?
superior -epiglottis
inferior - cricoid cartilage
What is cricoid cartilage?
one of the laryngeal cartilages, only one that forms an entire ring around the area
Where can fish bones get stuck?
piriform fossa, a groove in the laryngopharynx
What are the two types of pharyngeal constrictors?
longitudinal,
circular
What are the 3 pharyngeal circular constrictors?
superior, middle, inferior
What is the largest laryngeal cartilage?
thyroid cartilage
Where is the superior constrictor found?
oropharynx
What happens when the superior constrictor contracts?
constricts the upper part of the pharynx and is able to force the contents of the pharynx downward
Where is the middle constrictor found?
laryngopharynx
What happens when the middle constrictor contracts?
constricts the pharyngeal opening and forces the food down the oesophagus
Where is the inferior constrictor found?
laryngopharynx